Curbing Impulse Buying.

So, not going to lie, Facebook stores are my downfall. PayPal is a fantastic thing, and it's just so easy to get reasonably priced custom things these days.

In this Dave Ramsey FPU class, I've been trying really hard to help curb my impulse buying. I've done really well, actually! There are a lot of things I've been trying that have seemed to help. Yesterday, I did spend a little of my "budgeted monthly blow money" on a new saddle cover though. SO PRETTY.



Anywho. I've been writing down things I want and putting them in an order of importance. I'm only allowing myself one item larger than $30 a month, if it's more than that savings must happen. My collar sales have gone way down, sorry Danielle! Another thing I've been doing is sleeping on a buy over night. If I don't feel I would use it right now, it goes on the back burner (sorry custom fly bonnet and beaded browband!). I don't really like shopping in real stores, or buying things like clothes. But, you get me on dog or equine items and man, I can ring that bill up. The "What else could this money go towards?" helps as well. If I spend $50, that's $50 further away from our house, paying off our truck, or a horse.

What are some tips and tricks you use to curb impulse buying?

Be poor and don't have any money.
Works wonders.

WINNER! Can't spend what is not there. If it can't be bought with Cash , we don't need it.

Add me to that list. >_<

Also, I have horrible buyers remorse, Can't buy anything without thinking to myself "did I REALLY need that?" lol

Hide the stores on FB, don't go to deal sites, don't go to Amazon. That's what I do and it works fairly well. Sleeping on a purchase works really well too.

If I pick something up I think I need, I'll walk around a bit with it. In a few minutes after that initial excitement wears off and I don't still hold some sort of feeling for it, I put it back. When I do buy something, I keep it in the bag with the receipt. If not used within a few days, I don't need it and I'll return it.

This ends with me buying almost nothing because I hate spending money and would rather have all the monies instead of all the things.

This, so much. lol

Being poor does work like a champ lol!

I also like to play games with myself, and see how many days I can go without buying anything, or spending any money period. Usually I can go at least 3-4 days without spending a red cent. Then I usually need groceries or gas lol. I think the longest I went without spending a dime was 8 days. And I love to save money, tally it up, etc.

I need help with this. I go clothes shopping almost every weekend (and yet it still feels like I have nothing to wear). THis last weekend i bought 8 shirts and 4 were not cheap. Or I go to Barnes and nobles and walk out with 10 books instead of the one I went in for.

And I need new vacuum, new computer, new bed, new camera... At least in my head.

I could get a house so much faster if I did not spend money! I think I am just going to move more to savings after getting paid. If its not in the account then it's not as likely to get spent.

I'm also thinking about putting puppy pictures in my wallet of all my favorite breeds just to remind myself that hey.... Puppy if you save money!

In all seriousness, (not that I'm not being serious about being poor - in all helpfulness, maybe) one thing that is popular is envelope budgeting. You cash your check or withdraw cash on part of it, and you put the cash into envelopes based on your budget. $50 into the grocery envelope, $50 into the pet care envelope, et cetera. Then you shop with cash and only cash. You can stash a credit card under the seat in your car if you want to have a card on hand in case of emergencies, but you don't take it into the store with you. If you don't have the cash for it, you can't buy it. If you want to buy a book, grab the $10 or whatever it will take to buy the book and take JUST that into the store with you.

For impulse buys on the internet via Paypal, if you can set up an account at your bank that is free with a $0 balance, do so. Make that the one hooked up to your Paypal account. Then, if you want to buy something, you have to go through an additional step of going to your main bank account and transferring money into the Paypal-connected account, then going back to proceed with the buy through Paypal. The extra step might slow you down enough to make you reconsider your purchase.

My credit card is rarely in the same room as the computer, so if I want to buy something online, I have to get up and go get the card. If I need to order it bad enough that I go get the card, then it's something I actually need, not just a want - OR it's something that I have known I wanted and managed to save up for and am finally ready to buy (no longer an impulse.)

I rarely use my credit card. I really think hard before charging anything at all but dont so much with the debit card. But I like the cash idea too. Leave debit at home.

My worst is food. I cannot seem to budget food at all.

Until you run into my issue and memorize your credit card and can purchase anything, anywhere, any time

Oh internet...

I agree with the "if you don't see it, you don't buy it". Hide the stores, block etsy, just avoid looking.

Work so much you don't have the energy to go shopping (even online) after work and exercising your puppy.

I try not to have my debit card(s) on me unless I know I'll need them for groceries or gas. I do not carry credit cards on my person unless I know I'm paying for an auto repair or tires or something that exceeds my financial boundaries. I'm like some other Chazzers in that I will carry an item around the store forEVER, then wind up putting it back once the "new" has worn off. I very rarely buy anything really expensive, although I desperately want an iMac, a full frame camera/new lenses & a new iPhone.

My issues are also with PayPal and Amazon. I have my Amazon rewards card linked to my Amazon account, and dammit, all I have to do is click ONE button and things are delivered to my Kindle or my door.

I have an Amazon wishlist a mile long, mostly of books, but have rediscovered the library for those. I allow myself one "fun" purchase a month, never too expensive (this month was two vinyl decals for my car). I'll do a GNO once a month at most.

It is not easy, but I am too poor to spend money willynilly anymore. :/

Etsy is so my downfall. And it's so much worse now.
I used to buy for the dogs or myself so I at least had the decency to feel guilty. Now that I'm buying stuff for the baby, I feel like that I'm entirely justified.

Etsy is my diwnfall as well. In fact I just bought some things to turn into dog tags because I wanted something different. Never mind that they each have Star Trek tags and other etsy tags these are Canadian...because they care lol.

OMG! Me too. Once I get it, I automatically regret it.

Wait! Star Trek tags? Where did you find such things!?!

I budget really well. When I have the impulse to buy something, I write it down and when I go home open up the "Stuff to buy" spreadsheet and enter it in, along with the cost. This works really well for internet stuff too because you're already at the computer.

Later I go back in and delete stuff that doesn't look so appealing anymore. That way I can keep track of non essential things that would be awesome or useful to have, and eliminate wasteful impulses that take away from those awesome things.

Having a list of things I want also gives me something to look forward to and more self control when confronted with small impulse buys. If I'm like, "Oh man! I should totally buy tacos for lunch!" sometimes thinking about the list and that I only have $40 to go until I can get the kids an awesome playhouse we've been saving for is enough incentive to get home and make tacos there.

Bought a brand new iMac.. bought a brand new 7D (didn't want fullframe& oddly, still don't).. bought a brand new Vizsla.. bought a new deck.. bought 3 new lenses.. bought a trip to Disney to run a half-marathon..
All in less than 12 months.

I think the moral of this that I should bookmark this thread and stop leaving my house.